I wouldn't have got on this bus in the first place if it wasn't for JoAnne McKay (otherwise known as Titus)...and now here I am driving (and man, do I hate driving!). Partly because of this I am going to park the bus up for a while...and we are all going to get off...and walk (or you can bounce if you like...see photo above...).

So pick up all your things and let's set off...rambling...exploring...where on earth shall we go?

Into the world of words is where we'll go because your writing task this week is as follows:

1.Pick a favourite word. It can be a long word or a tiny word, a complicated word or a simple everyday one, a new word or something archaic that keeps trying to fall out of the dictionary. I really don't mind. Any word will do.

2.Write something using that word as your starting point. It can be a poem. But I use the term poem VERY loosely. Loose is good...in most instances.

3.Send me the link to your poem-post on Sunday 28th or Monday 29th March and I will add it to the Ramble Stop post on here. You can email me the link if you like (tidier...innit...send to author@crowd-pleasers.net) or put it in the comments box here. I work different hours to our usual host-driver so if you send me something in UK daylight hours I will probably get to it fairly quickly but I don't work late into our night these days so if you send it during our (conventional) bedtime I won't get to it till the next morning. Just so you know. Plus we have family coming to visit on the Tuesday so I won't be doing much here that day either. OK?

I thought of this task the other day whilst walking our dog. It came to me because there was something online a while back about favourite words and I was a bit disturbed because I couldn't really think of any. I don't think I'd ever really thought about words in those terms before. Partly this is because on the whole I like (or am interested in) all words (with the exception, perhaps, of diarrhoea...on all counts....and here we are with the loose again...and not least because I ALWAYS have to look it up in the dictionary to get it right...it just won't stay in my mind...which is good, I suppose). But then, since failing to think of anything for the post about favourite words, every now and again I see a flash and realise 'ah, ha! That is one of mine! I do have favourites!' Perhaps unsurprisingly so far my favourite words have all been quite everyday ones...nothing too fancy...just my way, you know. I realised, for example, that one of my favourite words is most definitely 'love'. Does that seem dull? Frankly, my dears I don't give a damn because I am just wild about love...in every sense...and I always have been.

And speaking of love...remember TFE's Valentine's Bus Ride (back here). Well, I wrote two poems that week but I only posted one - a rather twisted Valentine's experience (here). I also wrote a fairly straightforward love poem for my man and I thought I'd post it today...for him...for a couple of people I know who have just found the big L again...for all of you bus travellers. It's not very exciting...but then love doesn't always have to be.

The detail

You send me messages'On time', 'on way home now'And they're a thick coatTo keep me warm and well

You tell a jokeMaybe an old oneAnd it's a tonicA perfect pick-me-up

You walk beside meThat calm and steady paceAnd it is oxygenI keep on breathing

RF 2010

I will be writing a new poem set off by one of my other favourite words for the post (I hope...if something comes to me by the weekend...) and I'll post it at the Rambling Stop on Sunday (or maybe even Saturday, if it's done by then). In the meantime...get thinking, get rambling, get writing...

Dearest Rachelyou bought tears to my eyes, you reminded me of how important these things are. my messages usually say 'bring milk' and I find his phone inbox full of them because he stores them up.Wonderful prompt, I have my word already. Was late this week again and only just posted as we had visitors, not conducive to poetry writing (since no one knows I do it).and thanks for your comments on your protest poem, it helped to follow your thinking, and I loved it more then. How old is your daughter? mine are 19 and 15 and sometimes I so desperately want to hold their hands and help them be strong, to not be afraid, to believe they can fight against stuff that is wrong.much lovecfm

I put it the instructions up earlier than TFE sometimes does, Swiss, partly because I'd decided what I wanted us to try, partly because I know some of us with bairns/jobs and so on need more time to get it done and partly because it's kind of two jobs in one (pick a word and then do the writing). I just thought the more time the better.

I was charmed by this. You ever thought about running the lines on longer - makes a shorter looking poem but I think it lets the words in easier sometimes? This one wanted to trundle effortlessly into my brain - where it will remain for some time - lovely.

I'm hopeless with flowers and jewels, Hope! I never water flowers and I forget to wear jewellery (and perfume...and make-up). A pint of milk and a loaf of bread is much more my style. (Is it the Quaker past do you think...am I genetically simple...NOT A WORD!).

Speaking of which 'simple with great depth'...yup that's me...and what I like. Spot on, Karen.

Rachel - my next poem for the Bus Stop has long lines. I like this one short and simple, I think.

On my latest post, I laughed out loud. I hope noone in the school heard me. I haven't checked my e-mail yet, I'll do it tonight or tomorrow, but you already answered one of my questions. :-) Many, many thanks.

Greetings from London.

PS: By the way, I'm supposed to be neutral in this debate but I agree with most of the points you waised.

Write starting with a word. I shall do what my great grandparents were reputed to do when they had yet another child - they threw the Bible up in the air and chose a name from the page that opened when it fell. Thus I had greatuncles called Abraham,. Jesse, Isaac, Jacob (luckily not Nebukadnezzar (as I can't spell it - obviously!) So shall do the same with my Chambers Dictionary and then run my hand down the page with my eyes shut - promise.Pleased to report that my back is slowly improving and shall soon be blogging again if I can remember how. Love to all three + dog.